This invention is concerned with security systems and more particularly with television receiver identification systems for use in detering the theft of television receivers and/or for enabling the location of the owners of stolen television sets. Thus the inventive system is designed to deter thieves from stealing television sets that are registered in the system of the invention.
The theft of items such as television sets which are extremely expensive in Israel has grown by leaps and bounds. Many of the stolen television sets reportedly turn up in the retail stores where they are sold as new sets. There is no way of tracing the television sets to their rightful owners even when they are recovered by the police.
To prevent the theft of items such as television sets the Israeli citizen has taken to buying complicated lock systems for preventing the entry of burglars. In addition, to minimize the losses of stolen items the Israeli citizen purchases costly insurance. Nonetheless burglaries continue and the victims of such burglaries are not only damaged through the loss of money; but also are severely inconvenienced since even if they have insurance covering their losses they still must go to the store and take the time for purchasing and replacing the stolen items.
One of the reasons television sets are such good targets for burglars is that they are readily marketable. Thus there is a long felt need for means and methods for deterring burglars from taking items such as television sets by making the stolen television sets less marketable. The problem has grown as the television sets have become more sophisticated and complicated, i.e. color set and television recording systems have made the television receivers a juicier target for burglary.
Some means to inhibit the sale of the stolen T.V. receivers have been attempted. Among these means are name plates with identifying serial numbers and also the etching of serial numbers on the chassis. While these simple devices do deter some burglars they are too simple to remove and therefore do not provide much of a deterrent. A combination of identifications systems is therefore required.
For example with merely etching or attaching a serial number to a set and relying on the retail store to maintain some kind of record of who the set is sold to is too unreliable. Retail stores are interested in selling the set and then attending to the next customer to sell the next set. Thus, the marking of the television sets without a registration system has not proven to be satisfactory for detering burglaries.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide new improved television receiver identification systems for deterring burglaries in which the above referred to disadvantages are substantially reduced or overcome.
According to the present invention a television receiver identification means is provided which comprises means fixedly attached to the television receiver providing unique identifying symbol means along with picture generating means for causing at least some of said identifying symbols to be displayed on the cathode ray tube of said television receiver.
Thus when the television set is turned on, for example, the picture tube displays the name and serial number of the owner. A further feature of the present invention is to have this name and serial number registration centrally stored as a service by either the television manufacturing company or a service company providing a central storage memory containing the serial numbers of the registered television sets along with the owner identification and location.
A feature of the present invention is that to facilitate the central storage the picture generating means includes programmable memory means whereby the information can be readily changed by the central storage company if and when the set is legally transferred.
A further feature of the invention provides outlet circuitry connecting the programmable memory to the cathode ray tube control circuits for causing a display of the name of the owner and the registered number of the television set.
Yet another feature of the invention enables the operation of the picture generating means and the display in the picture for a fixed time period. Thus, for example, when the owner turns on the set, the information is displayed for a fixed time period, thereafter it is not displayed and thereby does not interfere with the operation and enjoyment of the television receiver.
Yet another feature of the invention is the provision for operating the identifying display responsive to the operation of a special switch whereby the display can be provided during the operation of the television set or at any time desired.
The operation and utilization of the present invention will be more apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.